General aviation, bizjet avionics sales exceed $587 million in Q1 2015, declining nearly 10 percent year over year

PARIS, 19 June 2015. In the first three months of 2015, total worldwide business and general aviation avionics sales exceeded $587 million ($587,100,212.92), according to the Aircraft Electronics Association first-quarter 2015 Avionics Market Report. The figure represents a 9.9 percent decrease in sales compared to the first-quarter 2014 ($651,748,994.12, or more than $651 million); this year's first-quarter sales are more in line with the first-quarter sales of 2013 ($586,006,894.49, or more than $586 million).

The dollar amount reported (using net sales price, not manufacturer's suggested retail price) includes: all business and general aviation aircraft electronic sales -- including all component and accessories in cockpit/cabin/software upgrades/portables/certified and noncertified aircraft electronics; all hardware (tip to tail); batteries; and chargeable product upgrades from the participating manufacturers. The amount does not include repairs and overhauls, extended warranty or subscription services.

Of the more than $587 million in first-quarter 2015 sales, 52.8 percent came from forward-fit (avionics equipment installed by airframe manufacturers during original production) sales. The retrofit (avionics equipment installed after original production) market amounted to 47.2 percent of first-quarter sales.

According to the companies that separated their total sales figures between North America (U.S. and Canada) and other international markets, 65.5 percent of the first-quarter sales volume occurred in North America (U.S. and Canada), while 34.5 percent took place in other international markets.

"The first-quarter decline in sales is somewhat disappointing after the modest 4 percent year-over-year growth noted in the year-end 2014 report," says AEA President Paula Derks. "The rest of 2015 will interesting to watch as the general aviation electronics industry is coming off its largest convention and trade show ever, and expects increased activity around the installation of mandated ADS-B Out equipment. We'll also be paying close attention to the strength of the U.S. dollar and its impact on international sales in the coming quarters."